1972 Managua Earthquake

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The Managua earthquake occurred in Managua, Nicaragua on December 23rd, 1972 at 12:29 am Central time. It was measured as a magnitude 6.2 earthquake. This is part of the reason why I chose this earthquake. It was a large, but not massive, earthquake, yet the damage that it caused is startling. It is a perfect example of the importance of being prepared for an earthquake. Also it is interesting because the city experienced a magnitude 4.6 earthquake 4 years prior to the event, it is surprising that there were no preventative measures put in place after this warning sign. Also as a Spanish major I am drawn to the history and culture of Central America and other Hispanic regions, and major events like the Managua earthquake of 1972 are often very important in society but natural disasters can often be overlooked when learning the history of another country. …show more content…

What they found was built on geologically unsound ground composed of relatively young (~2,000 years) and loosely compacted volcanic remnants and in a volcanic region ("The Managua Quake: The Inevitable Happens"). Managua is also located on the southern shore of Lake Xolotlan (see figure 1), which is in a highly volcanic area known as the Central American Volcanic Chain. This area is tumultuous due to its location near the fault in between the Cocos and Caribbean plates, where the Cocos is being subducted under the Caribbean. The focal depth of the earthquake was only five kilometers; because of this depth it is believed that “the Managua earthquake was probably caused by volcanic activity rather than the fault motions responsible for most California earthquakes” ("The Managua Quake: The Inevitable Happens"). Shallow shaking causes harsher shaking in a smaller area, this shaking loosened the weak soil to become

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